Lebron James $100 million?

[erpowers]

Would anyone here offer Lebron James $100 million if you were the owner or general manager of a team? There is talk on other discussion boards, mainly ESPN's discussion board, that the New York Knicks or even the Lakers might offer James $100 million. I know that some people may think I am crazy, but I would not yet willing to offer James that much money if I were an owner or a general manager. I just do not think he is worth $100 million yet. I think his defensive skill are lacking and even some of his offensive skills are a bit lacking. As far as offensive skills go I know it is a bit nit picky, but I think he travels a bit. Defensive wise we all know he does not always do a good job of defending.

[1gobluedem]

1. Travels a BIT?

He travels every time he has the ball!

LeBron is a very talented player and has megastar potential. But, I agree, he is not worthy of $100 million at this point in his career.

I don't think he's 21 either. I think he's about 25 or 26.

[GOPisEvil]

7. It ain't just him. EVERYONE travels.

Catch a pass, take two steps, pivot, no whistle. There is no traveling anymore.

[bigwillq]

2. Yes, I would offer him that much.

I feel he is the future of the game.

[nolabels]

3. Yep, good or better than advertised

Just think if he could get a couple more players on his same team that could move with and without the ball. He really is fun to watch and almost to a man, everybody else in the NBA thinks so too. The guy just flat out brings it just about all the time.

[LisaM]

4. He travels so much he should get frequent flier miles!

I don't think any player should get that much. Kinda like the Pay-Rod syndrome. He took so much money it hurt baseball and every team he was on. If any team offers him that they are NUTS.

If they start calling him for travelling, his output would drop in half.

[theHandpuppet]

5. The Pistons won but their fans are still bitter

Sheesh -- look at some of these posts. What's yer beef, folks? I've heard of sore losers, but sore winners? Yeah, Lebron is nothing special, lacking in both defensive and offensive skills, and simply travels every time he touches the ball. Gee, I don't know why so many of the top bb people in the nation are comparing James to Magic and Michael, he's so lacking in talent. And no way he's 21 -- why, I'll bet he's at least 31 if he's a day!

Get a grip. The guy can play BIG TIME ball.

:nopity:

[erpowers]

10. Not a Pistons Fan

I am not a Pistons fan I happen to be a Spurs fan. No, I am not a sore loser since the lost their series with Dallas. I just do not think James is worth $100 million. I do not see any reason to pay that much for someone who travels and does not defend. Everything people in this post have said about James happens to be true. Even sports writers and sports analysts are willing to admit that James travels and does not defend.

[1gobluedem]

13. I never said he wasn't talented -- he is

But look at him, he does NOT look like he's 21. He looks much older.

And...ftr, I said that ages before the Pistons and Cavaliers met in the playoffs.

[northzax]

15. not yet, he can't

He has the physical skills and talent, no question, but he doesn't have the dagger yet. If he develops that steel will, he could be worth the money (although if he's smart, he'll take less, like Jordan learned to, to allow for more money to be spent on people around him, Nike's already throwing him $100 million, who needs another?) He can't pick up a team in the final game of a series and will a victory yet, without that skill, he's no more than a talented novelty.

And yes, I think it will come, to some extent. I don't think he'll ever have the same burn that Magic and Jordan had in their primes, because the game is so different, and they were 29 or 30 at the time. Give him time, don't call him Jordan yet (although I'd rather have LeBron that Kobe at this point) Jordan's brilliance came from never losing the big game, once he learned to win it. He intimidated his way past so many teams, his teammates knew they would win the big games, he knew that they would win, and the oppponents knew it as well. When JAmes has that skill, to accompany his absolutely freakish basketball skills, then he will become an immortal.

[LisaM]

6. I can't stand it when people travel. Why does the NBA even have a rule?

It's not just LeBron - they let Kobe get away with it, Genobili, Wade. The other thing about the NBA is that they call fouls unevenly on superstars and non. And the announcers eat it up. The worst of all was Jordan, though. Man! I still hate him! Why have rules at all when someone gets to ingore them? True fans don't want to see the stars get away with stuff others can't.

[MessiahRp]

23. This seems to have started with Jordan IMO...

Now the big stars get away with it much more freely. Jordan was constantly travelling but got preferential treatment from the refs.

Rp

[Robbie Michaels]

8. Yes

If you don't, someone else will. He's a one-of-a-kind player and you cannot let him leave as a free agent while he's still improving his skills.

Letting someone like him leave as a free agent is just as bad as drafting Sam Bowie ahead of Michael Jordan.

[geek tragedy]

9. If you get a chance to sign him, you have to.

He's one of the top 3 players in the NBA, and he's only going to get better.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

11. Is this a 100 million a season?

if so that's crazy, Jordan I think made like 30 million the last season he was with the Bulls. If this is for like 4 or 5 years not so bad, I guess.

[KitchenWitch]

12. Years ago the Timberwolves offered KG like 125 million over 6 years

As much as I love KG, and love to watch him play, it was a mistake, because now the Timberwolves are hogtied when trying to add talent around him.

[HughBeaumont]

24. Not just that . . .

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=sk-wolves012706&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

This deal killed them as well.

[HughBeaumont]

14. Big market teams and ESPN who wants it to happen can stop drooling.

LeBron is staying with Cleveland. No player has ever turned down the max contract. ESPN and their droolers needs to get over their Basketbusiness masturbation with the large-market teams, because frankly NY and LA Lakers suck and that's not changing anytime soon. James will be the Next Great Player in Cleveland. Dan Gilbert has cash out the yin-yang and wants a championship worse than anything.

LOL at you people who shit on LeBron. You've got to be kidding me. There isn't a player out there that can touch his combined physical ability, multidimensional talent, court sense and unselfishness, save for Steve Nash. Considering he carries the bulk of his team's offensive load, you think it's really WISE to play Pistons-style defense for 42 minutes, have him foul out early and risk him not being there for when his team needs him? Playing Pistons-like defense successfully (i.e. with as few fouls as possible) is a learned skill that takes time. I think he defends quite well considering his role on the team.

[rocktivity]

16. DING DING DING! HughBeaumont, you're our grand prize winner!

...ESPN and their droolers needs to get over their Basketbusiness masturbation...

ESPN does have a tendency to invent controversises when business is "slow," and to engage in outright media whoring to peddle their own programming and agendas. How can they continue to have doubts about Barry Bonds, for instance, while he's the star of an ESPN reality show?

As for "basketbusiness," the business of basketbusiness is Michael Jordan. He was what I call a super-DUPER superstar--both his talent and his personal appeal were so overwhelming that they attracted the attention of even non-sports fans. When Jordan (finally) retired, his non-hardcore basketball fans did, too, and the NBA hasn't recovered. Instead, they've tried to force players like LeBron and Yao Ming into Jordan's role with big money, big media hype and even bigger expectations. LeBron has shown he has superstar potential, for sure. But he's still a couple of years away from being the super-duper superstar that Jordan was.

:headbang:
rocknation

[jakefrep]

18. I seriously doubt that Joe Dumars....

would have traded LeBron James away to Orlando for a bag of used jockstraps, like he did with Darko Milicic. The Piston fans who wouldn't want LeBron on their team are delusional.

LeBron has performed quite well, given the hyper-inflated expectations placed on him coming into the league.

[LisaM]

20. I am a Pistons fan and I don't want a team that revolves around ONE player

I don't care who that player is. If my team wins, I do not want to hear the name of a player first. I want to hear the word Pistons. If the Cavaliers win, you don't hear "Cavs win." You hear, "LeBron....." and then the rest of the story. I don't think any true sports fan prefers to hear the name of an individual over the name of the team.

[NJ Democrats]

17. I would

The Knicks can't they don't have enough cap room. He will stay in Clevland and if I were GM I would give him a deal like Kobe's 7 yr. $136m. How about 9 yr. $153m deal.

[SKKY]

19. Absolutely. He's certainly worth more than Kobe...

...he's so much better than Kobe for 1 reason- he makes the other players around him better, much like Jordan
did. That's where I think the comparison between the two comes in.

[LisaM]

21. Plus he's not a rapist

Oh, sorry! I mean an ALLEGED rapist.

[realisticphish]

22. i agree

yeah, he has a "star" attitude, but he also gets his assists in, and as you said, makes the whole team better

[ProfessorGAC]

25. I Agree With The "D" Part. Not On The "O" Part

First of all, there is a bit of a myth involved in traveling in the NBA. For 40 years, the NBA refs have not called traveling if the extra step is not the difference in a guy beating his defender. That just slows down the game and makes it less exciting. This is hardly anything new. People were saying the same thing about Cousy in the 50's, Arhcibald and Monroe in the 60's and 70's, and Doc, Magic, and Michael in the 80's and 90's.

The second part of this myth is how much they actually travel, even if called by the book. The rule clearly states, (in every refereeing handbook) that the step you're taking when you quit dribbling is not one of the steps allowed. So, when that foot lands, that's not the plant foot. Now, a guy takes one step, where that lands is the plant foot. So, he takes one more step, and as long as he leaves the ground off that foot, before the trailing foot comes up, it's not traveling, even by the book!

Now, as to James. He is every bit the offensive force advertised. He is quick for his size, has great vision, is becoming a better shooter, can post up, drive to the basket, and passes like a wizard with the ball.

He does not, however, play good ball denial defense on the perimeter, and is slow on help moves. But, defense is mostly "want to" and i get the sense he wants to be better at it. Once he learns more of the details of the pro game, i think he'll turn out to be a solid defender. Maybe not DPY or even 1st team all-defensive, but solid.

And, he's a gate attraction. So, that might make it worth it.
The Professor